Reversing and leveling means for two-way plows



'r. BROWN 2,644,385

REVERSING AND LEVELING MEANS FORTWOWAY FLOWS July 7, 1953 Filed Jul 26;1950 INVENTORLI- THEOPH/LUS mow AT ORNEYS that is provided Patented July7, 1953 nevnnsmc AND LEVELING MEANS FOR TWO-WAY PLOWS Theop hilus Brown,

&.Company, Molina, 111.,

.nois

Moline, Ill., assignor to Deere a corporation of Illi-'Application'.luly 2s,195o,ser1s1No. 175,95s

. .11 Claims.

The present invention relates generally to agricultural machines and V nmore particularly to ground-working implements such as two-way plows.

The object and general nature of the present invention is the provisionof a two-way plow of the tractor-carried type having a combinedreversing and leveling adjustment. More particu--* larly, it is animportant feature of this invention to provide reversing mechanism, withmeans acting therethrough for adjusting, the plows so as to operateproperly at difierent depths of operation,

'as desired. I I

7 Further, an important feature is the provision of a tractor-carriedtwo-way plow having a plow beam swingable. about a longitudinal axis andcarrying aslotted-arm in which a'generally centrally mounted crankoperates for shifting the plow beam from one-position to anotheraccording to whether itis desired tooperate with the right-hand or theleft-hand plow means, and more specifically it is a ieature of thisinvention to provide means for raising and lower= ing the crank relativeto the plow beam and the slotted arm for the purpose of adjusting theplow means to different depths ofoperation.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will beapparent to those skilled in the art after a consideration of thefollowing detailed description of the presently preferred embodiment,taken in conjunction with the ac companying drawings in-which saidembodiment has been illustrated,

In the drawings: I Figure 1 is a perspective view of a' two-way plow inwhich the principles of the present invention have been incorporated anda rear portion of a tractor on which the plow of the present inventionhas been mounted, the plow being shown in the raised position. 7

Figures? and 3 are fragmentary rear views showing the action of theadjusting means of the present invention for leveling the plow atdifferent depths of operation. I I Referring. now to the drawings,particularly Figure 1,,the reference numeral l indicates the draftlinkage'carried at thefrear end of a farm tractor, of conventionalconstruction so far as the present inventionis concerned, having a rearaxle structure which includes laterally outwardly extending axle shaftson which rear drive wheels I are fixed. The draft linkage l includesarearwardly extending, generally U=shaped drawbar 6 with sidejmembers lan'd'a rear transversely extending'member 8 pivoted at its of thisinvention ends, as at 9, to the rearend portions oi the side members I.The drawbar 6 is raised and lowered by means of link means II whichdepend from a pair of arms l2 fixed to a power-operated rockshaft 13 tothe central portion of which a gen erally rearwardly extending controlarm It is fixed. The rockshaft I3 is supported for rocking movement onthe rear portion of the tractor in any suitable way and is operated bypower derived from the tractor motor, as by a hydraulic system that isconventional so far as the present invention is concerned.

The implement in which the principles of the present invention areincorporated comprises a two-way plow indicated in its entirety by thereference numeral 20. Each of the plowing units includes a plow bottom2| fixed to the lower end of a standard 24, the upper end of eachstandard being connected by a bracket plate 25 to a generalmember 3| isfixed, and a vertically extending section 34 that is provided with aslot 35 just above the socket section 33.' The latter section is shapedto snugly embrace the transverse member '8 of the tractor drawbar 6, andthe attaching memj ber 32 is suitably connected in draft-transmittingrelation to the transverse bar 8 of the drawbar so that the plow maypivot with respect to the tractor drawbar. Preferably, a, hitch pin 3i;or the like is utilized for this purpose, and the socket member 32 is soformed as to have the clearance necessary to accommodate lateralpivoting of the member 32 relative to the transverse member 8 ofthedrawbar. j The sleeve member 26, in effect,

constitutes a plow beam which is rockably mounted to swing from one sideto the other so as to bring oneor theother of the plow bottoms 23 intoplowing position. I

According to the principles of the present inand leveling mechanismwhich will provide an easy and convenient means for controlling theplow. Such mechanism will now be described. Disposed forverticaladjustment in the slot 35 is an apertured block A! which is connectedtothe lower end of a crank screw 42 that isthreaded into a portion of thevention, I provide reversing attachment section 34 just above the slot35, whereby turning the crank screw 42 in one direc= tion or the otherserves to raise and lower the block 4|. Rockably mounted in the apertureof said block 4| is a crank member 44 having a pin 45 disposed in theslot 23 of the plow beam arm 21. The forward end of the crank member 44,in front of the block M, is provided with a pair of universal jointsindicated at 45, by which a hand crank 41 is connected to turn the crankarm 44. The hand crank 4! is carried in a sleeve-like por tion 48 thatforms the forward part of a laterally and forwardly extending portion 35of the at= tachment member 32. The upper end of the lat ter member ispivotally connected to a link mem-. ber which at its forward end isconnected, as at 52, to the control arm M of the power operatedrockshaft [3 on the tractor. A set screw collar '53 or other suitablemeans is disposed at the rear end of the sleeve 2t? and is fixedlyconnected to the rear end of the, supporting shaft 3 l, where.- by thedraft of the plow is transmitted through the collar 53 to the supportingshaft 3!. r

lhe operation of the plow described above is substantially as followsThe plow 2c is raised and lowered into and out of transport position byvertical swinging of the tractor drawbar 5 which, as described above, isactuated through linkages II by the arms [2 on the power-operatedrockshaft [.15 of the tractor. When the plow is raised one or the otherof the plow bottoms 23 may be swung into operating v position by turningthe hand crank ii, which rocks the crank member from one side to theother as indicated in Figures 2 and 3, and the arm 44 acts through the.arm 27 to Swing the desired plow bottom into operating position. Ineither position, the, bottoming of the pin 35 in the slot 28 determinesthe end of the crank throw. It will be noted that when either plow isswung into operating position the crank arm i l moves sub" stantiallyinto perpendicular relation with re= spect to the plow beam arm 27,whereby the plow is held in working position by the crank arm 54 withoutany latches, locking mechanisms or the like. After the right-hand, orthe lefthand, plow bottom has been swung into a position for plow,- ing,by manipulating the hand crank 4's as described above, plowing may becommenced merely by operating the power lift mechanism of the tractor tolower the tractor drawbar 5. It will be noted from Figure 1 that theupper link ii! is ap proximately parallel to the drawbar 5, whereby eachplow bottom is thereby held in the desired fore and aft leveled positionby the aforesaid link connection with the tractor.

Normally, in outfits of this type, when plowing the tractor is operatedwith one rear drive wheel in the previously opened furrow. This resultsin a tilted position of the tractor relative to the ground surface andtherefore in order to maintain the plow bottom in operating positionlater-- ally level at different depths of operation, in which the plowwill be tilted various amounts depending upon changes in the depth ofoperation, it is necessary to provide means for changing the lateraltilt of the plow bottom relative to the tractor when changing the depthof operation of the plow, since the attachment member 32 is connectedwith the drawbar 6 of the tractor in such a manner as to tilt laterallytherewith. To this end, and according to the principles of the pres? entinvention, I provide the vertically adjustable block 4| and the levelingcrank screw 42 for the purpose of raising and lowering the crank arm 44so as to cause slight changes in the position of the plow beam arm 21for the purpose of changing the angle of the plow bottom in operatingposition relative to the tractor in its tilted position, the amount oftilt varying, as mentioned above, with changes in the depth ofoperation. The action of the parts in effecting a lateral leveling oftheplow' bottom in operating position is illustrated in Figures 2 and 3,from which it will be noted that by turning the crank screw 42 in onedirection or the other serves to raise and lower the crankarm 44 bodilyrelative to the plow beam, and this swings the plow beam arm 21 throughan anglev that, although relatively small, is sufficient to. bring theplow bottom into a laterally level position. The change in the angularrelationship between the crank arm 44 and the plow beam arm 21 isrelatively small so that the crank arm 44 remains suificiently close toa perpendicular relation with respect to the slot in the arm 21, wherebythe plow beam is'locked in operating position although tilted to variousdegrees, according to the depth of plowing desired,

Normally, the links H are slack in plowing, whereby the tractor drawbar6 is free to swing vertically as is also the upper link 5] Whileapproximately parallel, actually the link 5! and drawbar 6 converge at avirtual hitch point which lies well forward of the rear end of thetractor so that, so long as the links I l are slack, the plow inoperating position swings generally vertically about the aforesaidvirtual hitch point. During all times that the links I l are slack, thedepth of plowing may be varied by operating the tractor power liftwhich, causing a rocking movement of the rockshaft, l3, actsv throughthe. control arm is and the upper link 51 to increase or decrease thedepth of plowing. If necessary, the leveling crank screw 42 may beadjusted to bring the plow in operating position back to a laterallylevel relation with respect to the surface of the ground, although thisis not always necessary where only minor changes in the depth of plowingare made. After the rockshaft l3 has been operated to take out the slackof the links H, the drawbar 6 of the tractor is then raised, whichaccomplishes the raising of the plow into a transport position.

While I have shown and described above the preferred structure in whichthe principles of the present invention have been incorporated, it is tobe understood that my invention is not to be limited to the particulardetails, shown and described above, but that, in fact, widely diiferentmeans may be employed in the practice of the broader aspects of myinvention. 7

What I claim, therefore, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A two-way plow comprising a plowoarry" ing beam structure rockableabout a generally fore and aft extending axis, means for raising andlowering said beam structure for raising and lowering said plows intoand out of operation, means for swinging said beam axis for reversingsaid plows, said swinging means being movable relative to said beam forvarying the amount of movement of said beam for a given operationofasaid swinging means, and means for shifting said swinging meansrelative to said beam for positioning the plow in operating position toaccommodate different depths of plowing.

2. A tVOr-VVBJY plow adapted for use with a tractor having laterallyspaced apart groundengaging means, one of which is adapted to on,- eratein a previously opened furrow, said plow about said comprising a framemember attachable to the tractor so as to tilt laterally therewith, aplowcarrying plow beam connected with said frame member to reel;relative thereto about a generally longitudinally eirending axis, meansshift- 3. A two-way plow comprising a frame mem- 7 her adapted to beattached to a tractor or the like, a rearwardly extending plow beamrock.- ably mounted at its forward end in said frame member and carryingright left handplow bottoms, said frame member having a generallyvertically extending slot, an apertured part sliciably disposed in saidslot, a crank member rockably mounted in the aperture of said part andconnected to rock. said plow beam from one position to another, andmeans for raising and lowering said part in said slot.

i. A two-way plow comprising frame means, a plow beam carrying right andleft hand plow bottoms journaled for rocking movement in said framemeans so as to bring one or the other of said plow bottoms into plowingposition, a part shiftably and roclsably mounted in frame, meansconnecting said part with said beam whereby rocking movement of partrocks said beam, and means for shifting part generally vertically tovary the position of beam to accommodate changes in the depth plowing ofeither plow bottom. I

5. A two-way plow adapted to be cohneded to a tractor having a generallyvertically swingable drawbar and means for raising and lowering thedrawbar, said two-way plow comprising a vertically disposable attachmentmember having means at its lower portion to receive said drawbar indraft-transmitting relation, a rearwardly extending beam rockablymounted at its forward end in said attachment member for movementrelative thereto about a general1yfore and aft extending axis, a pair ofright and left hand plows carried by said beam, a slotted arm fixed tosaid beam adjacent said member, an operating arm rockably mounted insaid member having a crank pin disposed in the slot in said first arm,whereby rocking said operating arm relative to said attachment memberserves to swing said plow beam from one position to another.

6. A two-way plow as defined in claim 5, further characterized by saidoperating arm movable substantially into a position normal to said slotin the beam arm, whereby said beam is held in proper operating positionin either position of the beam relative to the attachment frame.

7. A two-way plow as defined in claim 5, further characterized by meansfor rocking said operating arm to reverse said plows, and means forraising and lowering said operating arm to adjust said plows toaccommodate changes in the depth of operation.

8. A two-way plow adapted to be connected to a tractor having agenerally vertically shiftable drawbar, power means connected therewithfor operating the drawbar to raise and lower the same, and an operatingpart movable concomitantly with said power-operated means, said plowcomprising an attachment member adapted to be connected at its lowerportion with said tractor drawbar to pivot relative thereto about agenerally vertical axis, a generally fore and aft extending plow beamswingably connected at its forward end with said attachment member,means carried by the latter member for swinging said plow beam from oneposition to another, and means adapted to connect the upper end of saidattachment member with said concomitantly operated part, and rightandleft-hand plow means carried by said beam.

9. The invention set forth in claim 8, further characterized by saidattachment member being adapted to tilt laterally with the tractor, andmeans connected with said plow beam rocking means for raising andlowering the latter for varying the position of the plow means inplowing position to compensate for variations in the amount of tilt ofthe tractor at different depths of operation.

10. The invention set forth in claim 3, further characterized by saidplow beam rocking means comprising a crank member rockably mounted onsaid attachment member and operatively connected with said plow beam forswinging the latter from one side to the other when said crank member isswung from one side to the other of said attachment member.

11. The invention set forth in claim 8, further characterized by saidplow beam rocking means comprising a crank member rockably mounted on.said attachment member and operatively connected with said plow beam forswinging the latter from one side to the other when said crank member isswung from one side to the other of said attachment, and means forraising and lowering said crank relative to said attachment member andsaid beam for varying the position of the plow means in plowing positionso as to accommodate different depths of operation.

THEOPHILUS BROWN.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 219,220 Chapman Sept. 2, 1879 1,191,143 Amiot July 18, 19162,227,366 Priclgen Dec. 31, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date519,437 France Jan. 24, 1921 541,378 France May 2, 1922 456,670 GreatBritain Nov. 13, 1936

